In a new effort to enhance communications in the Catskills, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is partnering with New York's ConnectALL initiative to expand wireless and broadband access throughout the New York City watershed.

The initiative was motivated by operational challenges faced by DEP staff due to poor cell coverage, and a recent Request for Information (RFI) seeks input from telecommunications providers and other stakeholders on how to eliminate cell phone dead zones.

In this episode, DEP Commissioner Rohit "Rit" Aggarwala and Water Supply Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush join host Brett Barry for a discussion about the RFI; why a robust communications network is increasingly crucial; and how a network could be built to benefit everyone in the region.

To put the complicated NYC/Catskills relationship into context, we check in with Lize Mogel––producer of the podcast series, Views from the Watershed––for a fascinating historical perspective.

We also hear from local Town Clerk Joyce Grant, whose anecdotal evidence illustrates just how dangerous cellular dead zones can be in the remote Catskills, where land lines and cable internet can also be scarce. Grant is frustrated by what she characterizes as a minority of residents who are opposed to cell towers marring the mountain landscape.

Referring to a proposal for a tower to be built in Shandaken, she says, "It's going to be a pole that's 85 feet tall, and it may be viewable above the trees... but it's a pole... that could save lives. We have to look at it like that."

For more than a century, the Catskills have provided New York City with billions of gallons of clean drinking water. Will NYC be the unlikely partner that –– finally –– brings wireless coverage to the Catskills?

00:00 Intro

00:26 NYC DEP's Wireless Communication Initiative

01:44 Joyce Grant's Pursuit for Better Communication

07:17 Challenges of Cell Service in the Catskills

10:34 Community Efforts and Future Plans

15:12 The Catskills and NYC Water Connection

16:15 The "Takings" and Eminent Domain

19:06 The 1990s MOA and Water Quality

23:29 Controversial Land Acquisition Program

24:24 City's Land Ownership and Broadband Infrastructure

24:56 New York City's Evolving Relationship with the Catskills

25:37 DEP's Land Purchase Strategy

27:46 Recreation and Utility Easements on City Land

29:11 Challenges and Opportunities for Broadband Expansion

32:06 Future of Wireless Communications in the Catskills

34:41 Funding and Implementation of Broadband Project

36:22 Historical Context and Technological Evolution

38:50 Public Engagement and Relationship Building

43:42 Climate Change and Water Supply

45:36 Personal Reflections and Memories of the Catskills

49:37 Conclusion and Podcast Information